Lagos Earmarks N10m for Families of Fallen Police Officers

• Procures more security equipment for RRS

Gboyega Akinsanmi

The Lagos State Government monday disclosed that it would pay the families of police officers, who die in the course of service to the state the sum of N10 million as death insurance.

The state government also presented additional three patrol vehicles and 45 power bikes to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), pledging to ensure safety of all citizens that chose Lagos as their homes.

The state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, disclosed the new death insurance plan for police officers at the State House, Alausa after he received two awards the RRS recently won in South Africa.

The Security Watch Africa (SWA) had awarded the RRS the best anti-crime police squad in West Africa while recognising the RRS Commander, Mr. Olatunji Disu as Africa’s most outstanding police operational officer.
The SWA had also recognised the state government as the best security and most safety-conscious state in Africa, citing its N4.756 billion security equipment it procured for the police.

After receiving the awards, the governor said security and safety of the people “remains the mains objectives of my administration and that the state government will always embrace measures to motivate and encourage officers in the state to perform their duties diligently.”

Even though the state government or officials never prayed for loss of life among police officers, the governor noted that it had become imperative “to increase their death insurance benefits.”

Ambode lamented the recent loss of some officers in active service, emphasising that the state government was not praying for the re-occurrence of such, though it was appropriate “to reasonably reward the family of any officer in the event of eventual death.”

He, therefore, said the state government “will raise the stake of death insurance policy from N1million to rank and file and N2million to senior officers to N10 million. Recently, we lost some police officer due to no fault of theirs and then some form of accidental incidences across the State.”

He said: “I have directed the state’s Pension Office and the Office of the Chief of Staff that we are going to increase what we pay the police officers that die in active service and then we are increasing that irrespective of whether you are a junior or senior office.

“If any police officer dies in active service, the payment that will be made by the state government is being increased to N10million from this moment onward,” Ambode explained.

As a way of appreciating and motivating the police officers serving in the state, the governor presented three additional patrol vehicles and 45 power bikes to the RRS.

While reiterating the commitment of the state government to the security and wellbeing of residents, Ambode directed the police to ensure hitch-free yuletide celebration across the state.

He said the state government, by the donation, was also sending a strong signal to those who are always willing to disturb the peace that there is no room for them in the state.

In a response, Disu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, said the security equipment newly donated to the RRS would spur its operatives to give their best to protecting the lives and property of residents.